The IAI Heron and Searcher-I/II variants are the most widely used. The Rustom-II is expected to be the next model planned to be available in considerable numbers, all the Indian-made UAVs before this (Rustom-I, Nishant etc.) were either merely technology-demonstration projects, never managed to make it out of development, or were produced in very limited quantity. Save for target drones like the Lakshya PTA.

More recently, the INS Kolkata was seen with a UAV Rail-launcher on it's heli-deck. An observation made by @Abingdonboy on this forum. But it's yet unclear which exactly is the model being used/trialed for ship-launch.

As far as future requirements go...a HALE UAV/UCAV is apparently required, which in all likelihood will be a twin-engine model powered by the Manik turbofan (or a derivative of it) developed by GTRE. Picture a somewhat fatter Talarion...if not a Rustom-II airframe but with jet engines mounted who-knows-where.

Development of a SAR radar module for use on Rustom-II is also underway.

There is also the IUSAV project (previously known as AURA), an R&D project to create a flying-wing UCAV with reduced radar signature; owing to both the shape as well as internal carriage of weapons.

HAL's work with the HTFE-25 turbofan engine (rated 25kN) opens up a lot of possibilities for powering both manned & unmanned aircraft.

For the more immediate future, deliveries of the newer Heron TP model are due.

Cool! The Indian forces (including the Navy) have so far shown little interest in acquiring VTOL UAVs, which has me dismayed. Some locally-made Mil-Std quadcopters like the Netra (from DRDO) had proved to be extremely useful in Search-and-Rescue operations during natural calamities in rugged, inaccessible terrain (like the Badrinath flood of 2013). I hope the military jumps on the VTOL UAV bandwagon before it's too late.

Some locally-made Mil-Std quadcopters like the Netra (from DRDO) had proved to be extremely useful in Search-and-Rescue operations during natural calamities in rugged, inaccessible terrain (like the Badrinath flood of 2013). I hope the military jumps on the VTOL UAV bandwagon before it's too late.

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To be fair, there is no product in India that would be suited for naval UAS VTOL requirements, the Netra suits the CAPFs and IA/IAF.

More recently, the INS Kolkata was seen with a UAV Rail-launcher on it's heli-deck. An observation made by @Abingdonboy on this forum. But it's yet unclear which exactly is the model being used/trialed for ship-launch.

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Most probably it's not a UAV launcher but the launcher for Lakshya PTA for the missile test .

The armed drones, the Indian Air Force (IAF) believes, would help it strengthen its defence capabilities

WASHINGTON: The Trump Administration is "considering" India's request for armed drones for its air force, according to a senior American official.

"Yes, yes," the administration official told PTI when asked about India's pending request about the purchase of armed drones as part of its armed forces' modernisation drive.
The armed drones, the Indian Air Force (IAF) believes, would help it strengthen its defence capabilities.

Early this year, the IAF had requested the US Government for General Atomics Predator C Avenger aircraft. It is understood that IAF would need 80 to 100 units making it approximately a whopping USD 8 billion deal.

The Trump Administration's consideration in this regard comes months after a successful meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump at the White House on June 26, during which the US announced to sell 22 unarmed Guardian drones to India, which would add the Indian Navy's surveillance capabilities in the strategic Indian Ocean region.

"We are at ways to, in terms of Foreign military sales, but really also in defence cooperation broadly how to strengthen our relationship and cooperation," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The official was responding to questions on defence relationship and India's quest for high-tech defence equipments and technologies from the US as part of its long overdue armed forces' modernisation drive running into several hundred billions of dollars over the next decade.

Previous Obama Administration had designated India as major defence partner and the Trump Administration has accelerated the process of considering Indian requests.

"The US Navy and the Indian Navy have been cooperating for many years on counter piracy efforts, on ensuring freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean and the and Red Sea and the Persian Gulf," the official said.

"I think that (defence) cooperation is only going to increase based on the need for it to increase and the kind of trust that we are building through personal relationships and through a fundamental understanding that our interests aligned so clearly," the official said.

Last week, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had said that in keeping with India's status as a major defense partner and their mutual interest in expanding maritime cooperation, the Trump administration has offered a menu of defence options for India's consideration, including the Guardian UAV.

"We value the role India can play in global security and stability and are prepared to ensure they have even greater capabilities," Tillerson had said ahead of his visit to India.

He did not mention about armed drones. He, however, said "the proposals the US has put forward, including for Guardian UAVs, aircraft carrier technologies, the Future Vertical Lift program, and F-18 and F-16 fighter aircraft, are all potential game changers for our commercial and defence cooperation."

How? You don't need drones to take out those scumbags bu political will.

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You do need drones. There is absolutely no comparison to drones and standoff strike munitions launched from aircraft when it comes to missions like these.

And India, as far as I know, is still working on developing/acquiring these capabilities on the scale necessary to carry out the tasks I have listed.

Once that happens, if there's any Government with the political will to do it, it's this one. The decision to launch the cross border spec ops raid was far more risky in my opinion than carrying out a standoff strike or drone strike, and they went ahead and did it didn't they? And that was in response to a single attack which killed 18 soldiers; whereas the bastards I have listed here have far more blood on their hands, and a lot of those killed in their attacks weren't even combatants, but civilians.

Hey Joker if you think we don't shoot down USA Drones because we don't have tech to do it than you are dead wrong. Secondly we have much AWACS and other Radar and now even Air Defence along with Air Force off course to shoot down anything you send here. Your best way of using these drones is staying in your Air Space and using them on our Military Posts even that would be answered back ruthlessly but still that is your best shot.

Hey Joker if you think we don't shoot down USA Drones because we don't have tech to do it than you are dead wrong. Secondly we have much AWACS and other Radar and now even Air Defence along with Air Force off course to shoot down anything you send here. Your best way of using these drones is staying in your Air Space and using them on our Military Posts even that would be answered back ruthlessly but still that is your best shot.

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You don't shoot down American drones because you are my country's b*tch. That's the hard truth, and b*tches don't get to talk or show attitude. So shut your filthy mouth and be a good slave now.

You will sit when we tell you to, you will roll when we tell you to, and you will bend over just like your tough "Gernail" Musharraf did when Bush threatened to bomb your already medieval people back into the Stone Age. Understood?

Hey Joker if you think we don't shoot down USA Drones because we don't have tech to do it than you are dead wrong. Secondly we have much AWACS and other Radar and now even Air Defence along with Air Force off course to shoot down anything you send here. Your best way of using these drones is staying in your Air Space and using them on our Military Posts even that would be answered back ruthlessly but still that is your best shot.

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Where were your radars and AWACs and Air Defense when our SEALs waltzed into your country, right next to your country's premier military institution, shot Osama dead like a dog, and flew out with his body?